Maintaining Good Posture

We’ve all heard it before. Whether it’s a parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle or teacher, “stand up straight” has been directed at almost everyone at some point in their lives - and not without merit. Those three words of wisdom have withstood the test of time for good reason, because good posture is very important. When you stand up straight, your weight is balanced evenly between both feet which helps with balance as well as maintaining correct form while exercising - and that correct form can play a major role in the prevention of injuries and noticeably improved results! So essentially, good posture and balance will help improve your game, no matter what it may be.

Even if you’re not overly active, good balance helps keep your body functioning as smoothly as possible. Without even thinking about it, you rely on good balance to make it through each and every day.

• Walking up or down the stairs without good balance? Better hope there’s a railing!
• Getting in and out of the car? Getting up from the table after dinner? You’re balancing yourself without even thinking about it.
• Bending over to tie your shoes - your balance is what keeps you from toppling over before you’ve pulled them tight.

This isn’t to say that poor posture is just a bad habit though, either. There are a number of physical limitations that may affect the way your body behaves, but like we all learned from The Skeleton Dance in grade school, everything in our body is connected somehow. Diminished range of motion from certain muscles - think of how tight chest (pectoral) muscles pull your shoulders forward - can lead to poor posture. Being able to exercise effectively can help keep the muscles in your body balanced and strong enough to maintain better posture.

So what does good posture look like? A quick look in the mirror can often tell you a lot. This is also why you’ll find many exercise gym walls are covered in mirrored glass. While exercising, keeping good form is the single most important aspect of preventing injuries. Here are a few key points that you can focus on no matter where you are:

When standing:

• Eyes forward, chin parallel to the ground
• Shoulders level and arms at your sides with straight elbows
• Hips and knees at even heights and facing forward with bodyweight shared equally between both feet

When sitting:

• Eyes forward, chin parallel to the ground
• Shoulders level with arms relaxed
• Hips and knees at even heights with kneecaps and feet pointing forward

If you find yourself having a hard time maintaining any of these checkpoints, consider starting to slowly incorporate some additional core strength and flexibility exercises into your daily routine. They can take just a few minutes and you’ll likely notice improvements within the first couple of weeks!

Consider trying some of these basic exercises:

• Plank and side plank (great for core strengthening)
• Downward dog and cobra poses (for the yoga lovers!)
• Chin tuck for added neck flexibility and function